The use of nonwoven sheets for dry dust-type cleaning are known in the art. Such sheets typically utilize a composite of fibers where the fibers are bonded via adhesive, entangling or other forces. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,629,047 and 5,144,729. To provide a durable wiping sheet, reinforcement means have been combined with the staple fibers in the form of a continuous filament or network structure. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,808,467, 3,494,821 and 4,144,370. Also, to provide a product capable of withstanding the rigors of the wiping process, prior nonwoven sheets have employed strongly bonded fibers via one or more of the forces mentioned above. While durable materials are obtained, such strong bonding may adversely impact the materials' ability to pick up and retain particulate dirt. In an effort to address this concern, U.S. Pat. No. 5,525,397 to Shizuno et al. describes a cleaning sheet comprising a polymeric network layer and at least one nonwoven layer, wherein the two layers are lightly hydroentangled so as to provide a sheet having a low entanglement coefficient. The resulting sheet is said to provide strength and durability, as well as improved dust collecting performance because the composite fibers are lightly hydroentangled. Sheets having a low entanglement coefficient (i.e., not more than 500 m) are said to offer better cleaning performance because a greater degree of fibers are available for contact with dirt.
While the sheets described in the '397 patent are alleged to address some of the problems with prior nonwoven cleaning sheets, those sheets appear to be generally of a uniform basis weight, at least on a macroscopic level; and are essentially of a uniform caliper, again on a macroscopic level. That is, ordinary and expected basis weight and caliper fluctuations and variations may occur on a random basis, as a result of fluid pressure differentials during hydroentanglement. However, the structure would not be deemed to comprise discrete regions that differ with regard to basis weight. For example, if on a microscopic level, the basis weight of an interstice between fibers were measured, an apparent basis weight of zero would result when, in fact, unless an aperture in the nonwoven structure was being measured, the basis weight of such region is greater than zero. Such fluctuations and variations are a normal and expected result of the hydroentangling process. The skilled artisan would interpret nonwovens having such variations, including those described in the '397 patent, as having essentially a uniform basis weight and caliper, in the macroscopic sense. The result of a sheet having a uniform basis weight is that the material is not particularly suitable for collecting and entrapping soil of a diverse size, shape, etc.
As such, there is a continuing need to provide cleaning sheets that offer improved soil removal. In this regard, Applicants have found that by providing increased three-dimensionality, in the macroscopic sense, to cleaning sheets, enhanced soil removal is achieved.
Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to overcome the problems of the prior art and particularly to provide a structure more capable of removing and entrapping various types of soil. Specifically, it is an object of this invention to provide a nonwoven structure having significant three-dimensionality, which is described in detail below.
It is another object to provide improved processes for cleaning and desirable benefits for the consumer and user of the sheets, especially by packaging the sheets, either in roll form, with perforations for separating sheets, or means for separating the sheets into useful lengths, and packaging them in packages that inform the consumer of the improved processes and/or the benefits that can be obtained, especially those benefits that are not intuitively obvious to the consumer. It is another object to provide cleaning sheets with additives, especially those that improve adherence of soil to the substrate, and especially for those sheets described hereinafter with three dimensional structure, such combinations having special performance benefits, and such combinations providing improved benefits.